The Seven-Chamber Callao Cave in Cagayan Valley

Posted By philippine evolution staff on March 8, 2012

CALLAO CAVE

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Callao Cave is a cave with seven chambers located on the Province of Cagayan, in the Philippines. It is one of the best known tourist attractions of the province. It is located in Barangays Magdalo and Quibal, Peñablanca, near Tuguegarao City, the capital city of the Province of Cagayan.

It has a natural cathedral located at the first chamber, which was turned into a chapel by the local people. The conditions inside the cave cause stalactites and stalagmites, particularly in the deeper chambers.

Every chamber has natural crevices, which let light get into the cave, serving as illumination for the otherwise dark areas of the place. – wikipedia.org

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Callao Cave is perhaps one of the most popular caves in the Philippines (even more popular than the caves of Sagada) and the best known tourist attraction of the Cagayan Province. It is located in Barangays Parabba and Quibal, in the town of Peñablanca, a thirty minute drive from the provincial capitol Tuguegarao.

Unlike the caves of Sagada, Callao Cave is very easy to explore but requires little test of endurance as you go up the stair with close to 200 steps before witnessing the massive limestone and rock formations inside.

It is made up of seven chambers and various formations: the Column, Chapel, Skeleton, Elephant’s Head, Praying Angel, Rocket, Lion’s Head and Dog’s Head Formations. The Chapel, being featured in many tourism ads and postcards, is the main attraction of the cave (and of the whole Cagayan), it is a chamber turned into a cathedral by the locals. The place draws a dramatic picture as the skylight illuminates the hall through its opening. – lakwatsero.com

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More or less 300 cave systems comprise the Callao Caves Tourist Zone located in Penablanca town in the Province of Cagayan. The caves are varying in the degree that would accommodate cave novices or even the most dedicated experienced cave enthusiasts. The well-preserved beauty of the lime stone formations makes up for the more or less 480 kilometers of travel. The underground cave expedition offers a multitude of natural structures from the stalactites, stalagmites and cave entrance formations. Tours of the caves are usually done in packages for something as low as P1, 500/pax to P4, 500/pax for eight (8) people depending on the content of the package, with the most basic involving a trek in the caves plus watching the circadian or 24-hour patterned flight of the bats.

Other activities include kayaking and river trekking within the regions. However, make sure to bring your own flashlight for the cave exploration to better view the natural wonders inside the cave. It is also best to bring an extra set of batteries, or if you have rechargeable ones, take them with you too along with the charger. Make sure to follow the cave ethics given before trekking to ensure that more people will be able to see what you see during the adventure!

Since this is a popular tourist site, access to the area is pretty easy. Just take a ride with a Manila to Tuguegarao; from the City it only takes another ride to the Callao Caves Tourist Zone. Because of the trekking involved, visits are best done during the dry season. Hotel rooms are available at reasonable prices and you could have choices among the range of accommodations. It’s always better to call ahead for reservations or to check out to better experience the Callao Caves Escapade. – hotelsphilippines.org

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